Manju Gera has picked up her first WSOP Circuit gold ring. The California resident participated in the $400 HORSE tournament as part of the WSOP series at the Thunder Valley Casino Resort in California when she wiped out the playing field, taking the top prize of $8,303 and the coveted gold ring. She may not be a high-stakes grinder, but she certainly knows how to hold her own, especially in mixed-game competitions.
The WSOP event drew some pretty big names. David Diiorio was there, as was Howard Andrew and Vince Burgio. Gera overcame all of them, as well as last winter’s event champ, Steve Lustig.
The game attracted 74 entries and lasted less than a day. It was perfect for Gera, who spends the majority of her time playing in California and Nevada. The eventual winner started as chip leader, with 240,000 chips, when the final table began, and she never looked back.
After taking out Lustig for the win, she talked about her success, saying that many players don’t see her as a threat since she is a “middle-aged woman.” This makes her opponents believe that she is weak and easily bluffed, two characteristics she is all too happy to disprove. She indicates that she is able to routinely identify the bluffs and uses that skill to her advantage.
Gera has several cashes thanks to mixed-game action. She has a number of final table appearances in HORSE tournaments—including one other first-place finish—and has also been seen regularly in Pot-Limit Omaha and Omaha 8/Stud 8 games. She has a total of 33 cashes to her credit, according to The Hendon Mob.
If her name rings a bell for some reason, there’s a perfect explanation. Manju Gera is the mother of Nikhil Gera, another popular figure at the poker felt. Nikhil has two WSOP Circuit rings, as well as an assortment of final table appearances in a number of events. His first cash, according to The Hendon Mob, was in 2006 and he has racked up over $1.1 million in live action since then. He has made eight final tables in the WSOP and two in the WPT.
